MANILA, Philippines — Stressing that hiding is a “sign of guilt,” Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Friday urged embattled founder of Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) Apollo Quiboloy to face Congress to answer the allegations against him.
Quiboloy, in a 36-minute voice message uploaded on YouTube Wednesday, did not mention if he will attend the hearings of the Senate and House of Representatives which he described as a plot to “demonize me and destroy my reputation.”
But he admitted that he is now in hiding due to a supposed threat to his life and accused President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. of conniving with the US to execute the kill plot against him.
“He should not hide kasi nakita ko roon sa kanyang YouTube statement [na] nagtatago [siya]. ‘Pag nagtago ang isang tao, sign of guilt yan eh. So the best way is to respect the process, pumunta siya, sagutin ‘yung mga tanong. Hindi naman ‘to court na kaagad magbibigay ng desisyon,” Gatchalian told reporters in an online interview.
(He should not hide because I watched his YouTube statement where he said he is in hiding right now. When someone hides, that’s a sign of guilt. So the best way is to respect the process; he should come to the Senate and answer the questions. This is not like the court where a decision will be given.)
Quiboloy was ordered to appear next week Tuesday, March 5, before the Senate committee on women, children, family relations, and gender equality headed by Senator Risa Hontiveros which has been conducting a probe into his and KJC’s alleged crimes.
The House of Representatives had also required his presence on March 12 before its committee on legislative franchises which is investigating the alleged franchise violations of the KJC-owned Sonshine Media Network Inc.
Gatchalian said Quiboloy should use the hearings as an opportunity to clear his name and explain his side, noting that the Congress may otherwise be compelled to seek the assistance of the Philippine National Police to arrest him.
“Yan din ay isang oportunidad para sa kanya na i-clear ‘yung kanyang pangalan at maipaliwanag niya ang katotohanan at mabigyan niya ‘yung kanyang sarili ng panahon para maipaliwanag ‘yung kanyang side o kanyang nalalaman,” he said.
(This is also an opportunity for him to clear his name, explain his truth, and give himself time to explain his side or what he knows.)
Meanwhile, Gatchalian also said that it was unlikely that the upper chamber would allow Quiboloy to attend the hearing online.
In 2022, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation put out “Wanted” posters of Quiboloy “for his alleged participation in a labor trafficking scheme that brought church members to the United States via fraudulently obtained visas and forced the members to solicit donations for a bogus charity, donations that actually were used to finance church operations and the lavish lifestyles of its leaders.”
According to the FBI, Quiboloy had been facing various charges in the US, such as conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, and sex trafficking of children; sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion; conspiracy; and bulk cash smuggling.